"Gee, and maybe we could just start shooting all the people too. It is amazing that instead of addressing the problem, we want to make "THEM" go away. We have to be better than this as human beings."Amen.
Beggars' territory shrinks
City bans panhandling at night, at ATMs, at drive-throughs
By ADAM BEAM - abeam@thestate.com
Columbia City Council, on the heels of a nationwide trend to restrict beggars in downtown shopping and dining districts, passed an aggressive-panh
“Aggressive begging” has been illegal in the city since 1991, but the vague ordinance hasn’t been enforced that often, city officials said.
The new ordinance, approved 5-0, with Mayor Bob Coble and Councilman Kirkman Finlay absent, restricts when and where a person can beg for money, including:
• At night
• At an ATM or bank
• At outdoor seating for a restaurant
• At a drive-through
But the city could run into problems enforcing the new ordinance.
Penalties range from a $500 fine to 30 days in jail. Beggars typically can’t pay the fine.
That leaves jail time. But starting in July, the city has to pay Richland County $25 per person per day for those it sends to the county jail. City Manager Charles Austin has said the city can’t afford that and has told police chief Tandy Carter to write more tickets and send fewer people to jail.
Because panhandling is a misdemeanor, police officers can make an arrest only if they see it happen or if a victim signs a warrant.
The victim then has to appear in court as a witness. Municipal cases often can be delayed several times on the day of trial, making it tougher for witnesses to keep showing up, Carter said.
“You have a job and you are taking time off, (and) in some cases may not be paid to do that,” Carter said. “Is that worth your time and effort to do that?”
While fines and jail time might not be good options, council members hope the new law will bump up participation in the city’s homeless court, which has had only two cases since it started about a year ago.
The specialized court is modeled after a similar program in St. Louis. Homeless-servic
Terry Hooper, deputy director for the municipal court, said they haven’t had many cases because police officers haven’t made cases that would qualify.
Carter, the city’s new police chief, said if City Council passes an ordinance, it is his job to enforce it. But he cautioned that panhandling is symptomatic of a larger issue that requires a long-term solution.
“If you want a long-term solution, you have to do more than just pass tough ordinances,” Carter said. “You have to try to work with people to make sure that they have the tools available (so) they can become independent.”
Amos Disasa, chairman of the Midlands Interfaith Homelessness Action Council, agrees with Carter.
“It’s certainly an issue that needs to be addressed. We want to ensure everyone feels safe in the city,” Disasa said. “At the same time, we feel it’s important that city leaders continue to take seriously the causes of poverty and homelessness.”
City officials have been working on the panhandling ordinance since February, when a man stepped in front of Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine’s car at a drive-through one night and demanded money.
“My 2-year-old daughter was in the back,” Devine said.
Devine said she told the man she did not have any money, but he blocked her car at the drive-through window to watch her pay for her food. Devine said the man ran off when a car came behind her.
“I went home and sent out an e-mail saying, ‘We’ve got to do something about this,’” Devine said.
Finlay has told stories about his wife being approached while shopping in Five Points. The urban village on Harden Street is a typical target for beggars given the area’s pedestrian traffic and restaurants with outdoor seating.
Duncan MacRae, owner of Yesterday’s Tavern, said panhandling has been a problem since he opened his restaurant in 1977.
“They get used to making their living or making their wine or beer money that way,” MacRae said. “We don’t put up with it and we call as soon as we see one of them.”
Thomas Meihls, owner of Adriana’s on Saluda Avenue, said he was approached by a beggar just moments before he spoke with a reporter about the issue.
“I catch it really with the outdoor seating area,” Meihls said. “I think eventually what would happen is people would stop coming to that area to shop and or dine.”
Reach Beam at (803) 771-8405.
